Shredded Jerk Jackfruit Tacos with Creamy Coconut Slaw

I was so close to naming this Shredded Jerk ‘Chicken’ Tacos but I’m not trying to draw people in with a fake meat substitute. I want you all to embrace jackfruit for what it is – an awesome fruit that doesn’t seem like a fruit which I’m in love with right now.

I’m not the first person to use jackfruit as a shredded meat substitute. A lot of people are doing it. The first time I’d heard of jackfruit being used for a meat alternative was on season two of The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network. A vegan food truck – Seabirds – were rushing to find jackfruit to make tacos. (I wish Seabirds truck would have won. Even so, if I ever make it down to Orange County, California I am totally hitting up that truck. They have a lot of items for those avoiding gluten too!)

I did a bunch of research about it and found this to be a common staple for many vegan bloggers. I had to try it! Next grocery shopping trip I set out to find some jackfruit.

Finding fresh jackfruit in the Canadian prairies is basically impossible. Even at any of our Asian markets. Luckily for me, canned young green jackfruit is readily available at most Asian markets and in the specialty imported foods aisle of Superstore. I’ve never had fresh jackfruit so I really can’t comment on how the canned variety compares. I also have no idea how ripe jackfruit tastes – either fresh or canned so there’s not much I can say about that either.

A word to the wise: You see the picture above of what jackfruit looks like whole. It sort of looks like durian. Do not be fooled. It tastes (and smells!) nothing like jackfruit. Why we are able to find durian all times of the year at Superstore and not jackfruit baffles me. (I’m sure there’s actually a good reason for this. Yet, I still find myself wondering who actually buys those smelly durians anyway? Can anyone share any good recipes for durian? I’m honestly intrigued by it.)

Canned young green jackfruit can be a bit salty. When you open the can and drain the liquid, I suggest giving it a quick rinse too. It might not look like there’s going to be much ‘meat’ in just one can. But by the time you shred everything it really does provide a lot. Canned jackfruit comes in triangular chunks. These chunks have a tough part which you can cut away and mince up and use. The outer edges of the triangles will pull apart by hand and you’ll understand why vegans have been using this as a replacement for pulled pork and shredded chicken. You might find seed-like bits in the shredded part of the jackfruit. You can chop those up or toss them. It’s up to you.

Now, a quick note about the slaw. It’s kind of an essential piece of this recipe. That’s why it’s included here and not all on it’s own. The slaw has the right amount of creaminess to help cut through any of the heat from the jerk marinade. The crunch from the slaw gives you a necessary texture difference so that each bite of your taco is a perfectly balanced one. That being said, you don’t have to make this specific slaw – though I’m sure you’ll love it. If a creamy coconut slaw doesn’t seem like your idea of a good topper for your taco, then choose another slaw recipe you’re a fan of. The key is to make sure it’s a creamy slaw with lots of crunch.

Oh! I have a super important discovery that I need to share with you guys too. I made the dressing for this slaw three times over and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t turning out like it usually does for me. Then it dawned on me – I was using So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk from a tetra pak and not a can of coconut milk. The moment any amount of lime juice hit the So Delicious coconut milk it curdled instantly. Not so with the canned coconut milk. It was annoying to have to open a can of coconut milk for less than a cup worth but I am sure you can find other uses for the coconut milk as I did.

I garnished my plate with a whole habanero pepper from the jerk marinade I made earlier. Do I need to tell you not to eat that particular part of the garnish in this case? Maybe I do. Safety first, and all that. So yeah, don’t eat the habanero. You’ll probably hate me if you do.

Add minced and shredded jackfruit. Stir to heat through, then add the jerk marinade. Stir well to combine. Let cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until the jackfruit has heated through and begins to get slightly browned.

You’re right, green jackfruit is a very good meat substitute! The seeds are the best part – don’t toss them.

Ripe jackfruit tastes very different. It does have a durian-like flavour but without the objectionable sewer smell (which leads to the question – why doesn’t everyone eat jackfruit instead? Beats me). It’s very sweet and juicy if harvested at the right stage, but a PITA to peel and clean, so that’s why I prefer it frozen and ready to eat. The Eastern Market sometimes carries frozen jackfruit.

Canned fresh jackfruit is OK but lacks the intense flavour of fresh or frozen jackfruit.

As an aside, the seeds of ripe jackfruit are also edible after cooking. They have a unique taste and texture that is a cross of potato, chestnut and taro.

I never heard of Jackfruit, let alone a vegan meat substitute! I am totally blown away! I’m going to look for it tomorrow shopping, and see what I can find and then making this recipe for my DH from PR. Where does it grow?

It grows in a lot of tropical places like Thailand and stuff I think. I find it easily in the Asian section of my grocery store or at a local Asian market. Just make sure you’re buying green jackfruit in brine, not ripe jackfruit in syrup. I don’t know if it’s similar to hearts of palm – perhaps the harder parts could be similar – but you won’t get the shredded meaty quality that jackfruit has if you use hearts of palm.

I made this tonight I cooked my jackfruit in a pan for about 30 minutes. I did not have any jerk marinade and the one in the store had high fructose corn syrup in it so I used Pickapeppa Spicy Mango. I used 2 cans of jackfruit and the whole bottle of Pickapeppa. I also deglazed the pan a few times with coconut rum. I then put the jackfruit on a baking sheet and placed in oven on lo boil until a few piece were browned.

Everything else I followed. I want to make a sauce next time to go on the jackfruit before I top it with the slaw.

Thank you for a quick jackfruit recipe. I usually make jackfruit carnitas but those I cook over night. My husband has made a chowder with jackfruit and we have had jackfruit crab crakes.

looks great! can’t wait to try this recipe.
In Bangladesh, where I’m from, Jackfruit is a staple. It tastes great in curries too.
And also, ripe jackfruit smells just as bad as durian, but it tastes sooo good.